Black Population Plummets in Nashville Neighborhoods

The new development in and around Downtown Nashville is driving out black residents, according to this article.

"Some historic African-American neighborhoods in Nashville’s urban core have experienced declines of more than 20 percent in their black populations over the past decade," reports Mike Reicher.

The article shares conclusions from an analysis of U.S. Census data by the Tennessean. "The findings will ring true for anyone who has followed the urban core’s redevelopment and gentrification, but this may be the first time the dramatic racial shifts have been documented with data," explains Reicher.

Reicher focuses on the neighborhood of Edgehill, which "had one of the largest racial shifts in the county during the past decade. The racial lines drawn by the change in the neighborhood is stark:

From 2007 to 2011, African-Americans made up 67 percent of the total population, on average, census data shows. But between 2012 and 2016, their average share was down to 50 percent. The white population, meanwhile, shifted from 26 percent to 45 percent in the same time frame.

On the other end of the equation, outlying areas like Goodlettsville, Hermitage, and Neely’s Bend have seen increased black population.